Justin Gerace
"My current body of work is an undertaking in balancing and blending the two creative cultural mediums of ceramics and hip hop. The elements of ceramics particularly speak to time and culture, and help us better understand the artistic development of a society. Ceramics and hip hop are both highly expressive creative outlets that allow for endless representations of societal story telling as well as acting as pathways between cultures. My own pathway has led me to develop passions for working with clay and an immersion in all aspects of hip hop. Historically, ceramics have been used for thousands of years to tell stories that speak about specific cultures or civilizations. I am using ceramics to tell my story, whether direct or subtle, that speak about my cultural experiences.
The cityscape and the counter culture that
resides in its underbelly holds significant weight in the content of my
surfaces. The prolific linguistics of hip hop, as well as graffiti's
colorful abstracted way of communicating in a coded language, are
constant sources of inspiration in my work. The dialogue between the
surface and form explores visually contrasting depictions. I am
exploring surfaces one might only see on a wall or train in the inner
city and not on a traditional ceramic form. I use motifs that are
inspired by my own experiences, historical fact, and current events, as
well as contemporary issues and personal beliefs. My goal is to amplify
these subjects by focusing on transitions of colors and textures of
glazes, simultaneously placing emphasis on representational imagery,
heavy line movement, and societal connotations. Investigating the
relationship of form, direct representation, and how text can function
as an image is how I commingle utilitarian ceramic forms and hip hop. At
the same time, this investigation enables the narrative of each piece
to reveal itself."